Handle-bar for bicycles



(No Model.)

T.H. MOQUOWN. HANDLE BAR FOR BICYGLES.

No. 570,560. Paten'ad` lNov. 3, IBQ.

me Non): mns on. maro-mno.. wxsummon, D. z:Z

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

THOMAS H. MCQUOVN, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

HANDLE-BAR FOR BICYCLES.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,560, dated November3, 1896.

Application le October Z4, 1895. Serial No. 566,697. (No model.)

T 0 @ZZ whmn. it ntf/,N concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. McQUowN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHandle-Bars for Bicycles, of which the following, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct handle-bars for bicycles sothat they can be readily adjusted by the rider and locked in the desiredposition, according to the road over which he is traveling, that is tosay, when he is traveling on a level road, then the handle-bars can belocked in a raised position; but should he desire to climb a hill he canreadily lower and lock said handle-bars, so as to throw his weightforward.

The invention consists of handle-bars made in two sections pivoted andoperated as hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents an innerVview of a sectional handle-bar, steering-post, and locking deviceembodying my invention, showing the sections of the handle-bars in thelowered position in full lines and in the raised position in dottedlines. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of said sectional handle-bar andlocking device in the lowered position. Fig. 3 is a view of one of thesections of the handle-bar, partly in section. Fig. 4 is a verticalsection taken through line :t of Fig. 2 and showing the two sectionslocked by means of a thumbscrew. Fig. 5 is a view showing how the boltor fulcrum of t-he two sections of the handle is prevented from workingloose.

A represents the steering-post or shank held therein, the upper end ofwhich is flattened, as shown at a, and through which a hole is formed toreceive a bolt B, that forms the fulcrum of the two sections C C of thehandlebar. Each of these sections is formed at its inner end with ears cc', that embrace one another and the upper end a of the steering-post A,the bolt B passing through said ears forms a fulcrum upon which saidsections turn. These sections C C' are formed with proj ect-ions c2 c3,that form stops to regulate the eXtreme upward or downward movement ofsaid sections C C', and one of said sections is also formed with aprojecting plate C2, the upper and lower edges of which formbearing-surfaces for a locking-piece, as hereinafter described.

To one of the handle-sections C' is fulcrulned a trigger D, that can beoperated by the iinger of the rider, said trigger having on vthe lowerend an arm d, to which is pivoted a link e, to the outer end of which isattached a wire, chain, or rope E,the other end of which is attached toa link f, fulcrulned to a locking-bar F. This locking-bar passes througha slot in said handle-section C', and its outer end projects through andhas a bearing against the side of a small slot c4. The locking-bar F ispressed toward the steering-post by a spiral spring G, inserted in thesection or arm C', said spring having a bearing against a pin c5,inserted through said arm, the other end of said spring fitting into arecess formed in the said locking-bar F, so as to hold it in place, asshown in Fig. 3.

When the handleebars are in the lowered position, as shown in fulllines, the stop c3 is in contact with the shank, which prevents anyfurther downward movement, and any upward movement of the handle-bars isprevented by the locking-bar F coming under the bottom of theprojectingl plate C2. Thus the said handle-bar sections are heldrigidly, and when the handle-bar sections are in the raised position, asshown in dot-ted lines, then the upper edge of the plate C2 comes intocontact with the upper end of the shank and the locking-bar F passesover the upper edge of the plate C2 and holds said handle-bar sections.Thus the handle-bar sections can be adjusted in a low or high positionand be held perfectly rigid, as one of the stops c2 c3 is in con-l tactwith the shank. Consequently said handle-bars cannot move in thatdirection and the locking-bar prevents any movement in the oppositedirection.

The bolt B is held so that it cannot work loose by means of a smallSpanner H, fitting over its head, the outer end of said spanner beingheld to one of the handle-sections by a screw h. The ears c c' on theinner side of the steering-post are preferably formed with three holesthat register with one another and also with a screw-threaded hole inthe steering-post or shank, so that by adjusting IOO .r the projectionC2 of the section C.

the sections C C to the required position and inserting a thumb-screw Itherein (see Fig. 4) said sections will be held rigidly in place. Thismethod of locking is only applicable when it is not desired to changethe position of the handles when riding.

In operation, supposing the handle -bar section to be in the loweredposition, as shown in full lines in Fig. l, and the rider desires toraise the handles, he then passes his finger over the trigger D anddraws upon same, which causes the outer end of the arm d to be drawnaway from the steering-post or shank and draws upon the Wire rope orchain E, thus drawing the locking-bar F from under Thus the sections arereleased and can be raised so that the said locking-bar will pass overthe top of said projection C2. Of course should the handle-bar sectionsbe in the raised position and it is desired to lower same, all that hasto be done is to draw upon the trigger, thus withdrawing thelocking-bar, when the handle-section can be pressed down and againlocked in the lowered position by releasing t-he trigger. Thus it willbe seen that the rider has full control of the handles of the machine,and can adjust them up or down according to the road he is traveling oras he may desire^wi`thout stopping the machine.

x-f When the machine is to be run upon a race-course or other placewhere the ground is level or substantially on a certain inclination, thehandle-bar section can be adj usted and held by means of the set-screw Ipassing through the holes in the ears and into the steering-post orshank, as above described.

What I claim is-Y l. In a bicycle ahandle-bar made in two sec- 4ocombination with a locking-bar operated from a trigger on one of saidhandle-bar sections substantially as set forth.

2. In a bicycle a handle-bar made in two sections fulcrumed upon a boltpassing through the head or shank of the post, the upper end 5o l ofwhich extends up beyond said handle-bars, one section of saidhandle-bars having stops on one side of the post and a projecting plateon the other side of said post in combination with a locking-bolt,adapted to fit over or under the said projecting plate, and means foroperating said bolt without removing the hand from the handlesubstantially as set forth.

3. In a handle-bar the combination of the 6o post the handle-bar made intwo sections pivotally mounted upon a boltpassing through the head orshank of the post at right angles to said handle-bar sections and postone of said sections having a projection on one end thereof and alocking-bar in the other handlebar section free to pass over or undersaid projection to hold the handle-bar sections in place substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 7o name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 10th day of August,A. D. 1895.

THOMAS I-I. MCQUOVN.

fitnessesz CHAs. STEERE, EDWIN PLANTA.

